First responder

A first responder is an employee of an emergency service who is likely to be among the first people to arrive at and assist at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. First responders typically include police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians. A Certified first responder is one who has received certification to provide pre-hospital care in a certain jurisdiction: for example, the Certified First Responder in France. A community first responder is a person dispatched to attend medical emergencies until an ambulance arrives. A Wilderness First Responder is trained to provide pre-hospital care in remote settings, and will therefore have additional skills in ad hoc patient packaging and transport by non-motorized means.

Issues

First responders must be trained to deal with a wide array of potential medical emergencies. Because of the high level of stress and uncertainty associated with the position, first responders must maintain physical and mental health. Even with such preparation, first responders face unique risks of being the first people to aid those with unknown contagions. For example, in 2003 first responders were among the earliest victims of the previously unknown SARS virus, when they cared for patients affected with the virus.